Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.
What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Connections today (game #560) - today's words
Today's NYT Connections words are…
- STATS
- CROWN
- ABBOTT
- ELEMENTARY
- NUN
- KEY
- DOME
- ABBA
- LAUREL
- MONK
- COCONUT
- FRY
- SKULL
- BONES
- KAYAK
- KOJAK
NYT Connections today (game #560) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: Bodypart lingo
- GREEN: Backwards and forwards
- BLUE: Watching the detectives
- PURPLE: The other half
Need more clues?
We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…
NYT Connections today (game #560) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: SLANG FOR HEAD
- GREEN: PALINDROMES
- BLUE: POLICE PROCEDURALS
- PURPLE: FIRST IN A COMEDY DUO
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #560) - the answers
The answers to today's Connections, game #560, are…
- YELLOW: SLANG FOR HEAD COCONUT, CROWN, DOME, SKULL
- GREEN: PALINDROMES ABBA, KAYAK, NUN, STATS
- BLUE: POLICE PROCEDURALS BONES, ELEMENTARY, KOJAK, MONK
- PURPLE: FIRST IN A COMEDY DUO ABBOTT, FRY, KEY, LAUREL
- My rating: Moderate
- My score: 1 mistake
Had today’s Connections included the words Noggin, Nut, Helmet, or Bonce then I might not have struggled to see SLANG FOR HEAD so badly. Instead, it was PALINDROMES that hit me first – although that was mainly because I couldn’t see how Swedish pop legends ABBA could connect with anything else, unless there was an obscure 1970s Eurovision act called KOJAK, which is entirely possible.
According to Wikipedia the longest palindrome in regular use is the 19-letter Finnish word saippuakivikauppias (soapstone vendor).
Wikipedia also directs us to some palindrome phrases including “A man, a plan, a canal, Panama” to which I’m sure you could add “a KAJAK” (or a saippuakivikauppias), and the eternal question “Do geese see god?”
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 21 December, game #559)
- YELLOW: LOOP BAND, CIRCLE, HOOP, RING
- GREEN: COOKING VESSELS CASSEROLE, CROCK, PAN, POT
- BLUE: KINDS OF BEDS BUNK, CANOPY, MURPHY, SLEIGH
- PURPLE: THINGS CALLED "OSCAR" BALONEY, GROUCH, O, STATUETTE
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.
It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
